'LEDAC measures on track'

MANILA, Philippines - Eight of President Aquino’s 23 legislative priorities, including the proposed Whistleblowers Act, are being fine tuned by separate technical working groups for plenary debate when Congress resumes session on May 9, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said over the weekend.

The legislative measures now in their final committee stages, earlier endorsed by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) presided over by the President, include: Amending the Witness Protection Act; Creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; Whistle Blowers Act; Amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act; Instituting a Land Administration Reform Act; Institutionalizing a National Land Use Policy; Creation of the National Food Corporation; and Providing a Definite Targeting Strategy in Identifying the Poor.

“The resulting committee report prepared by the different TWGs (technical working groups) will be forwarded to the Committee on Rules for inclusion in the calendar of business,” said Belmonte.

Of the 23 legislative priorities set by the LEDAC, three have been approved on third reading.

These are bills titled Rationalizing Nightwork Prohibition for Women, Resetting the ARMM Elections and GOCC Governance Act of 2011.

The Anti-Money Laundering Act is under plenary consideration, while the bill titled Defining Maritime Zones of the Philippines is approved in the committee level for inclusion in the calendar of business.

The Anti-Trust Act, on the other hand, was approved in committee for filing of committee report.